G7: Balance security and collaboration

Increased government scrutiny of cross-border university research relationships, tightened export controls on technologies, and strengthened national regimes regulating technology-related foreign direct investment are now priorities for most democracies. These policy changes are motivated by the common goal of shoring up economic and national security. But the approaches are neither uniform nor harmonized, even among the relatively homogeneous G7 nations, undermining cross-border research and development (R&D) collaboration. When the leaders of G7 meet in late June in Schloss Elmau, Germany, they should make it a priority to coordinate controls on knowledge flows and technology. They need to act together to demonstrate how democracies can counter illicit activities for acquiring technologies.